Peterborough Blogs
Rayes had approximately 1,140 patients rostered to his practice, and many of those were left without a GP when he closed his practice at the Apsley Medical Centre on Burleigh Street.
In the meantime, those living in Apsley who require care can access it through the following means:
The Amazing Impact In From The Cold Has Had During Its 18 Years In Peterborough
/In 2000, a group of Peterborough musical friends established a Christmas concert that was unlike any other—more influenced by Celtic and roots music, and one where people would hear something other than the usual Christmas carols and standards we hear every year.
"I was also inspired by Tom Jackson’s annual The Huron Carole concerts that raise money for local food banks," says one of its founders John Hoffman. "So we decided to launch the concert and donate the money to a local charity. Then I discovered that a small group was trying to establish a facility for homeless youth and that seemed like the perfect beneficiary for us."
Now, nearly two decades later, In From The Cold has had a huge impact—raising more than $100,000 for YES Shelter for Youth and Families, and also helped to raise awareness about the needs of homeless youth in our community.
After 18 years, Hoffman says that what has really kept this much-loved, anticipated event going over the years is two things: the music and what he calls the "In From the Cold feeling".
"The concert is a great creative exercise for us musicians," he tells PTBOCanada. "We enjoy digging up beautiful Christmas songs that are seldom sung but deserve to be heard. We love arranging them and performing them in our signature Celtic style. And then, the feeling you get when you walk out on the stage to perform is just magical. It’s like a huge family gathering—a really supportive, responsive audience. Lots and lots of people come to see the show each year, so it’s kind of like a family reunion."
THE PERFORMERS
-> Carried Away (Susan Newman, Rob Fortin and John Hoffman, with guests Michael Ketemer and Tanah Haney)
-> The Convivio Chorus (choir)
-> Enriqué “Roy” Claveer (Curtis Driedger)
-> Michael Ketemer: does a fingerstyle guitar solo each year
SOME NEAT SONGS DURING THIS YEAR'S CONCERT
-> Susan Newman has set the Robert Frost poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", to music and arranged it for choir.
-> "Noel est Arrivé": a very old, rollicking song from Provence
-> "Christ Child’s Lullaby", from the Outer Hebrides
-> "Wintergrace", an Appalachian song: "It is so catchy and lovely, it’s hard to believe that hardly anyone sings it anymore," says Hoffman.
-> "Sweet Bells", a lovely and lively carol from Yorkshire
-> "A Cradle In Bethlehem", which was a hit for Nat King Cole in 1960
Hoffman says there will also be versions of some Christmas standards, including "Silent Night", "Good King Wenceslas" and the "Gloucester Wassail".
The 18th annual In From The Cold concert takes place on December 8th and 9th this year at Market Hall. Tickets are $20 ($15 for students and children), and available at Moondance or at the Market Hall online box office.
Local filmmaker Rodney Fuentes has made a short documentary about the concert. Watch it below...
An 8-Year-Old Rep Goalie Mentored A Player With Special Needs In Peterborough Learning The Position & It Was Awesome
/Brody Brown is an 8-year-old goalie for the Peterborough Petes Novice AAA with a heart of gold.
See, Brody wanted to help out the Electric City Maroon & White, a special needs hockey team in town. On Saturday (November 11th) during an Electric City practice at Norwood Arena near Peterborough, he came and mentored 11-year-old goalie Jacob Craft who is learning the position.
This is Brody (at left) helping Jacob...
Coach Chris J-Boy Williams says Brody is a wonderful kind, young man that is already making a difference by working with special needs players.
"Brody's mom originally reached out to me a couple of months ago to let me know he has asked anyone coming to his birthday that in lieu of presents, to give cash which he wanted to donate to our team," Coach Williams tells PTBOCanada. "He came out to one of our practices recently and donated $200 which was an extremely kind thing to do. We have a brand new Junior goalie, Jacob, and I asked him if he would like to come out on the ice and work with Jacob which he did today. Super nice little guy that just wants to help out."
Brody (at left) giving advice to Jacob about goaltending
Brody tells PTBOCanada of his gesture: “I love playing hockey and want to help others play too."
Here is Brody pictured with Coach Williams, delivering the donation to the team...
Brody's gesture of time and money had an impact that Coach Williams, Jacob and the rest of the team won't forget.
"This is so much more than hockey," Coach Williams tells PTBOCanada. "Children and adults with special needs are often left feeling isolated with few friends and having Brody on the ice, welcoming Jacob to the Electric City family, is important to my players."
Brody, Jacob and Coach Williams
Coach Williams adds: "Special needs kids want to be able to show the world that they are hockey players and that they have dreams and goals just like everyone else. It was important for Brody not only to mentor Jacob but to learn about him as a person off the ice—what school he goes to, his favourite movies and the music he listens too. As parents, we need to teach our children acceptance and from acts of kindness we see amazing results."
Brody demonstrated a huge example of that on Saturday, and that impact he had may well have forged a bond to last a lifetime.
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Cuddles For Cancer Just Had Grand Opening Of Its First Drop-In Location In Downtown Lakefield
/If you have a dream, you gotta have Faith. Fifteen-year-old Faith Dickinson's dream was to someday open a physical location for her Cuddles For Cancer initiative, a charity she started when she was just 9-years-old that gives hand-made fleece blankets to cancer patients, veterans, soldiers, the homeless and other people in need of comfort around the world.
That dream was realized on Saturday (November 4th) in downtown Lakefield when a big gathering turned out to help the Grade 10 TASSS student celebrate her grand opening of a Cuddles For Cancer Drop-In Centre that opened at 15 Queen Street.
Faith in front of Cuddles for Cancer Drop-In Centre
The idea behind the drop-in centre—which will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays—is for students, seniors and everyone in between to come in to this inviting space and help make fleece blankets, aka "cuddle blankets", for those in need.
Since starting Cuddles for Cancer, more than 3,500 blankets have been sent to people in need around the planet, and with more volunteers involved at this drop-in centre, that number and the speed of making them should increase markedly.
Faith's Cuddles For Cancer has brought her attention and accolades around the world. Earlier this year, she met Prince Harry and William after receiving a Legacy Award (established in honour of Princess Diana) from them in London, England. The award goes to youth children making a monumental impact on society.
Faith pictured at Grand Opening of Cuddles For Cancer Volunteer Centre
Faith, who is also Youth Ambassador on the United Way Peterborough campaign cabinet this year, touches people globally and locally with her blankets. In September, she presented Cuddle Blankets to women at the New Canadians Centre in Peterborough.
All the fleece used to make the blankets is stored in the basement of the new drop-in location...
It should come as no surprise to those who know Faith that her ambitions with Cuddles For Cancer do not end here.
She would love to see more Cuddles For Cancer Drop-In Centres open in other cities at some point, and there is even talk and interest in starting one in London, England.
For more info on Cuddles For Cancer, visit the website here.
To inquire about helping out with the Drop-In Centre and making fleece blankets, click here.
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Put Your Director To Work Day For The United Way
/Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board is excited to launch the 2nd Annual Put Your Director to Work Day.
Director of Education Michael Nasello is once again raffling himself off to raise money for a local United Way campaign. One lucky PVNC employee will get a day off to kick up their feet, while Nasello rolls up his sleeves and does their job for the day. Last year, the raffle raised $1,485 and sent Nasello to St. Paul CES in Lakefield, where he filled the role of an educational assistant.
Michael Nasello at last year's Put Your Director To Work Day
“I had a great time last year working closely with some great students and all the amazing staff at St. Paul Lakefield,” Nasello says. “Who will it be this year? A custodian? A kindergarten teacher? I can’t wait to find out.”
A single ticket costs $5 or employees can purchase three for $12.
The employee whose winning ticket is selected, whether it’s a supply teacher, a custodian, an educational assistant, a secretary or any other staff position, will get a paid day off while Nasello performs their job for the day.
PVNC is pleased to partner with four United Way campaigns in Peterborough, Durham, Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland. The winner’s work location will determine where the proceeds go.
“Every year we support the United Way’s mission as it works to empower some of our communities’ most vulnerable people and fund important social services that some of our students and their families rely on,” Nasello says. “This raffle is also a great opportunity to recognize the important roles all of our staff play each day in ensuring our students are given every opportunity to succeed.”
Tickets will go on sale to PVNC staff at school locations and the Board office on Wednesday, November 1st. The raffle runs until Friday, December 1st and the winning ticket will be picked at the monthly Director’s Meeting at the Board office on Wednesday, December 13th.
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Bras Around The Building Campaign Collects 7,000 Bras & Raises $17,000
/Country 105, Energy 99.7 and Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre have wrapped up the 7th Annual “Bras Around the Building” Campaign. With the support of the community, a total of 7,146 bras were collected.
With the generous contribution of $1 per bra from Merrett Home Hardware Building Centre, along with other monetary donations from local businesses, the 2017 Bras Around the Building Campaign raised $17,000 which will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer research.
For the last four weeks, women of Peterborough and The Kawarthas have been donating their gently used bras, and many local women took up collections from family and friends for the campaign.
The bras will hang on the Country 105/Energy 99.7 building at 59 George St. N. in Peterborough, and will remain on display until Monday, October 30th as a symbol of support for women battling breast cancer, to honour survivors and to remember those who have lost their battle.
The public are encouraged to stop by and take pictures over the weekend.
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Peterborough Petes Unveil Plaid Jerseys To Be Worn November 2nd In Support Of United Way
/On a plaidtastic Monday (October 16th) in the Pat Casey Alumni room at the Memorial Centre, Jim Russell CEO of the United Way of Peterborough and District together with the 2017 Campaign Chair Neil Morton (co-founder of PTBOCanada.com) gave more details on Petes Plaid Night for the United Way to take place on Thursday, November 2nd—unveiling the plaid jerseys the Petes will wear for the first time in their storied history.
Matt D’Agostini of the Petes front office was unabashed in his support of the night and the partnership with the United Way. He was joined at the podium by three of the Petes players: Cole Fraser, Matthew Tims and Dylan Wells. They all sported redesigned special edition maroon, black and cream, plaid game day sweaters.
Unveiling of Petes Plaid jerseys at Memorial Centre
